Hacktivate for schools

We built Hacktivate to bring computer science to life for students, and now we’ve made it even easier for schools to bring it into the classroom.

Hacktivate: Education Edition is a special version of our world-class learning game, designed specifically for schools and colleges.

It’s a one-time purchase on the App Store for Mac, iPad, and even iPhone – no in-app purchases, no subscriptions – so that it’s fully compatible with Apple School Manager and perfect for classroom deployment.

More importantly, the app was built from the ground up with student privacy in mind: all student data is 100% private, which means no logins, no analytics, no logging, no adverts, and no data collection of any kind – students get the full hacker experience, without ever leaving the classroom.

Learn by doing – the hacker way

Hacktivate doesn’t just tell students how cybersecurity works – it lets them do it themselves.

Every mission is hands-on: learners investigate fake emails, crack encrypted data, uncover hidden information in images, and explore real techniques such as SQL injection, steganography, and hashing.

Each challenge is designed to blend critical thinking, digital literacy, and genuine technical skill in a fun, story-driven format, meaning that students learn about the world of cybersecurity while developing the problem-solving mindset that real analysts and engineers use every day. Yes, tutorials help them get started, but after that students must apply their new skills to 240 real-world problems across a range of core computer science themes.

Built for engagement, proven in classrooms

Hacktivate looks and feels like the real thing, delivering a Hollywood-style hacking interface that draws students in from the first tap. It’s not a quiz or a worksheet; it’s a game where progress depends on understanding, experimentation, and logic.

Teachers across over 300 schools have already seen Hacktivate transform how their students engage with computing and cybersecurity – lessons become active investigations, with students collaborating, debating, and celebrating each solved challenge like a real capture-the-flag competition.

Aligned with the curriculum

Hacktivate covers key concepts found in computer science curriculums across the world:

• Data representation, including binary, hex, ASCII, and Unicode
• Coding with JavaScript and assembly
• Networks, protocol, and routing
• Linux terminals and commands
• Cryptography, ciphers, and hashing
• Databases and SQL
• File forensics and digital investigation

Each new topic is introduced with a hands-on tutorial, so students learn exactly how things work and how to use them. After that, every challenge reinforces real-world knowledge and skills through practical application, making it perfect for enrichment, clubs, or main-lesson use.

Safe, contained, and school-ready

Hacktivate: Education Edition includes the full Hacktivate experience, minus in-app purchases. Everything runs locally, ensuring a self-contained, classroom-safe environment suitable for students aged 12+.

It’s available as a one-time purchase through Apple School Manager, meaning that schools can distribute the app via Managed Apple IDs or classroom iPads, with no hidden costs or subscriptions. Even better, the app is fully cross-platform, working on iPad, Mac, and even iPhone.

Bring real cybersecurity learning to your classroom today! No labs, no servers, and no setup – just open Hacktivate and let your students start exploring.

Tip: If you buy 20 or more copies of Hacktivate: Education edition through Apple School Manager, you immediately get a 50% discount on the price!